Have "Attitude of Gratitude" to Improve Your Health
Dr. Raymond Singer is the Chief of Cardiac Surgery at Jefferson Einstein Montgomery Hospital, in East Norriton, Pennsylvania. He is also a Clinical Professor of Surgery at the Sidney Kimmel Medical College at Thomas Jefferson University. He is a member of the Heart and Vascular Institute of Thomas Jefferson University Hospital,... more
What does it mean to have an “attitude of gratitude?”
It is not merely a matter of being appreciative of things that may or may not occur on any given day of your life. Instead, the type of gratitude that impacts our physical, mental, and spiritual health goes much deeper. It is having the core belief that all of what we receive in life is a gift, that we are granted something more and above what we have earned, such as the unconditional love of a parent. In a sense, when we approach life with this “attitude of gratitude,” what we are doing is simply practicing feeling loved and feeling blessed.
How do we cultivate an “attitude of gratitude?”
Start by writing a “gratitude journal.” Every day write down something good that happened to you that day, something for which you are grateful. Write a letter of appreciation to someone who has touched your life –a teacher, your parent, or a friend. Even more powerful would be to make a “gratitude visit” and express your gratitude in person.
Most of all, we must all learn to focus on what we have, not what we don’t have –to look at the glass as half-full, not half-empty. We need to let go of our useless anxiety over what is missing in our lives and learn to enjoy and appreciate all our blessings. While we cannot deny that certain life events make legitimate demands upon us, it is how we approach these adversities that will most likely determine whether we achieve a positive and healthy outcome.
See all of life’s events –both good and bad—as a blessing. If you can do this, you will feel peace and live a more successful and healthy life.
